Hate That I Love You
by StygianOmadaFan
Summary: To say that the relationship between Savitar and Apollymi is as volatile as an erupting volcano is the biggest understatement of all. They hate each other with passion, that has never been a secret. But what if there's something else between them? Could be their professed hatred a mask for a deeper and stronger feeling, repressed for too long?[Warning: Spoilers for "Son Of No One"]
1. Chapter 1

Hello, my lovelies!

Here I bring you a new story about my favorite OTP from Dark-hunters world. I ship them so badly! I know S.K. has said there's nothing between them, but hatred. That there aren't each other's HEA, but... she once also said that she would never write a book about Styxx, and there we have it. So, I hoping she change her mind about these two, too.

In meantime, I guess we have to take solace in fanfics like this.

One more thing: If you find some misspelling or think that something is awkwardly written, please forgive me. English isn't my mother tongue. Although I've been writing in English for several years now, I make mistakes once in a while. When you see one, would you be so kind to bring it to my attention? I'd appreciated very much.

I think I've talked to much by now, so I better leave you to reading. Enjoy, and let me know what you think :)

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><p>He sensed the ethereal presence even before turning the head to his right. Savitar saw the most beautiful, lethal, and irritating woman ever born, standing by the bedroom door. She invaded his private sanctuary, showing complete disregard to the act of war she just made. She had long white-blond wavy hair, and didn't look much older than her mid-twenties. "What are you doing here, Apollymi?"<p>

Actually, she wasn't really there, only her holographic image. Even so, she exuded unmistakable raw power.

But didn't matter if she presented herself in the flesh or in astral projection, she being there annoyed Savitar to the deepest level. More when she dared to come to his island without his expressed invitation. Nobody did that, unless they had a death wish.

"I'm doing Apostolos a favor," she said in aloof tone. "He asked me to check on you."

He threw her daggers with his eyes as she approached to him. "Do you really think I'm so stupid to believe that?"

That was the lamest excuse he ever heard. Acheron didn't need any messenger to communicate with him, much less use his mother for the job. Acheron knew how bad the relationship between Savitar and Apollymi was. She tolerate him as much as he did her, which was less than nothing. That the Destroyer was there saying pathetic lies raised all the red flags in him. "Why are you really here?"

She looked at him sourly, red edges appeared in her godly silver eyes as the anger rose inside her. Nothing unusual for an encounter between them. It wasn't needed much to set off her temper, and nobody did it faster than him. It had been that way for too long.

One honest mistake from his part had been all it took for their once cordial relationship to turn into a war of hatred. One that didn't seemed to have an end. "Speak, or begone, woman. Have no patience for you tonight."

Having her close rattled his mind and senses. She always had. Much worse now when he was not at his best. Having someone as lethal, and capable to use anything against him, while he was vulnerable unsettled him. And history had proven that there was nobody more dangerous than the Atlantean goddess of destruction and death. Savitar got on his feet and walked away from her, ignoring a wave of pain that went through him. He had a deep gash that went all the way down on his back. In spite of his effort to heal himself, the wound was still bleeding.

"You're injured," Apollymi said softly. If he didn't knew better, he could swear he heard concern in her voice. But that was impossible. The Atlantean goddess wasn't exactly known for her sympathy. Much less for him.

"I had worse," he truly had had many times before, just not recently.

"An understatement," she sneered. "By the way you're bleeding, I can tell that wound is much worse than you want to admit."

"It'll heal."

_Eventually._

The demon that had wounded him had a blade like he had never seen before. Savitar was starting to think that the coating on the weapon had some kind of serum, powerful enough to compromise his Chthonian powers. The attack had taking him by surprise. But not the battle, though. For months, a major bad mojo has being brewing. Savitar knew he wouldn't be able to skip this one. They were coming for him.

The fight tonight had been a nasty one. Fruitless, as well. Things were heating up out there. Demons and all kinds of evil were showing up since Kessar, the warlord for the Gallu demons, had stolen the Smaragdine Tablet. It looked like all the children of Echidna, and their extensive progeny, were making a welcome party for mama. Not even all the Hellchasers, active and former Dark-Hunters, and the other immortal beings living in New Orleans seemed to be enough to control the situation. Several had been injured, including him, while the horde of demons roaming through the city left a hellish mess behind.

Savitar didn't wanted to think how much worse the situation could get in the next few months, before the prophesied Blood Moon arrived. If Kessar managed first releasing the Scythian Guard, and then awakening Echidna, the mother of all monsters, it could be the end of everything and everyone.

He had been there, done that, read the book, saw the movie, joined the fandom on tumblr, and got the t-shirt.

And he wasn't eager to repeat the experience.

"Come to see me," Apollymi said.

Savitar whirled around, with his brows drawn together. Apollymi was just two steps behind him, with his hand raised in the air, as if she had intentions to touch his bare and mauled back. "Why would I do that?"

She dropped her hand. "You need to care of that wound, and I can't heal you in this form. You have to come to Kalosis where I can touch you."

"I don't need your help. In a few hours, I will be fine."

"Hardly. Your injury is oozing black fluid," she pointed out in patronizing tone, which ticked him off. "And I bet it burns."

Like a motherfucker, but that wasn't her problem. He would heal sooner or later.

"Still don't know what you're doing here. Leave me alone so I can lick my wounds at peace!" exhaustion and irritation sharpened his words.

Apollymi stiffened and her eyes turned full glowing red. "Fine, as you wish. I hope you writhe for days… _weeks_ before death has mercy on you!" Apollymi vanished on the spot.

But before she did, Savitar managed to take a glimpse to the tears clouding her eyes.

That was odd. Apollymi was usually much more guarded with her emotions.

As a rule, Savitar didn't mind to rile her. In fact, he liked to do so. Their heated exchanges could be entertaining and invigorating as hell. Not that he would admit that to her or anyone else. Nevertheless, that night he wasn't in the mood for it.

But he never intended to hurt her. Much less bad enough to make her lose her equanimity.

Guilt took up residence in his chest, squeezing tight his lungs and heart. Only Apollymi was able to make him feel that way. It was a complete mystery why he couldn't be as cold-hearted with her as he was with everyone else.

He was tired, beaten, and bleeding; he should get some rest and restore his strength. Yet, the compulsion to do something to make up with her was irresistible.

He exhaled sharply and scrubbed his face with his hands, aghast by what he was about to do.


	2. Chapter 2

The spirit of Apollymi reunited again with her body, which was in her private garden, a place where she usually found some degree of peace. But not that night. Screaming, she unleashed her boiling anger in energy waves. Her majestic power swept through the air knocking down everything in its path, including the two Charonte demons posted inside her garden. The demons flashed away an instant later, fleeing from the fury of their lady and mistress.

Apollymi felt so stupid. When would she learn? She should have never go to see Savitar. She hated him.

With good reason.

But earlier that night using one of her _sforas, _she watched Apostolos in the human world while he was fighting the demons that were terrorizing New Orleans. She wanted to make sure he wasn't harm. She knew her son was a great warrior, more than capable of handling himself in battle, but she couldn't help to worry about him. In the heat of the scuffle, she got a disturbing glimpse of Savitar that hijacked her attention.

A demon attacked Savitar from behind and slashed him on the back. She assumed that wouldn't slow him down in the slightest. Back in the day, she had seen him come out victorious of many fights, even while he was more wounded than that. The Chthonian was a force of nature during battle.

None of his enemy could win against him.

However, he'd struggled to keep up with the frenzied assault on him. The demon would've been successful in killing Savitar for good, if it wasn't for a female that went to his aid. If Apollymi wasn't mistaken, it was Samia, one of her son's Dog of War. The one mated to a were-bear.

It took several minutes, and a lot of united skill from everyone involved on the fight, to send the demons running away. Once that the demons were defeated and unsure of his condition, Apollymi couldn't stop the urge to go and see herself if Savitar was all right. It had been a silly impulse, she knew that. But for some reason, she had worried about him.

Being honest with herself, she knew exactly why she had lowered the emotional wall around her and let herself feel something else than hatred for Savitar.

In the recent years, her son and the closest to him had found love and happiness. The family had getting bigger by the minute. They tried to include her as much possible, visiting her often, all except Apostolos who couldn't go to her without freeing her. Despite to loving her, Apostolos still protected the world and humans against her wrath.

It was amazing how that fact could swell her heart in pride and break it into pieces. All at the same time. She respected his honor, but hated the fact that couldn't get close to him. She didn't begrudged his bliss, but it did make her feel lonely. She was trapped in Kalosis without the possibility to do what she wanted most. To hold her her son between her arms.

But neither could find someone who could help to ease her loneliness. It had passed long time since she thought herself as a woman. In her desires and needs. She hadn't been with a man since she had turned Archon, along with the rest of the Atlantean pantheon, into stone.

As odd as it could sound, the very few times that the fleeting thought about finding a lover crossed her mind, the image of Savitar popped into her head. She saw him in his ridiculous and childish clothes. The open Hawaiian shirt let plenty room for her to see his ripped abs and his hard pectorals, kissed by the sun and adorned with tattoos. However, his eye candy body was incomplete without his beautiful manly face. The persistent beard of three-days of growth he had made him look even more seductively dangerous than he already was. And his violet eyes captivated her as nothing else did.

They were the window to Savitar's true self. They could be scary and colder than the south pole, or scorching and inviting, with the promise of unimagined delights.

More than that, she could see in them an agony so soul-shattering to which she could relate. Even when she constantly profess hatred for Savitar, she could also see a kindred spirit in him.

And as much as Apollymi wanted to deny it, their usual battles of caustic words made her feel alive. Savitar was as fast and lethal with his tongue as he was with his sword. He didn't treat her with obnoxious care as most people did. He wasn't afraid to tell things in her face.

In modern human terms, they could be called frenimies.

She thought he knew her enough to tell the difference when she was looking for a fight with him and when, even as rare as it was, she demonstrated real concern for him.

But one single visit had showed her how mistaken she was.

"Apollymi," Savitar called, going out to the garden through the open French doors.

Startled by his sudden arrival, she did her best to compose herself in a heartbeat. She wiped the unwanted tears running down her cheeks as her rage tripled. She couldn't stand other people looking at her crying, when she was more vulnerable. She pivoted around to face Savitar, barely reigning on her emotions. The breeze refreshing the night raged, mimicking the storm inside her. "How do you dare to come here?!"

"It's only fair," he said, stopping a few steps away from her. "You appeared at my home without invitation not long ago," In spite of his unbashful words, his voice sounded taxed.

She cared nothing about his argument. She had gone to his island out of concern, but the invasion to her realm was with the sole purpose of provoking her. If he stay a second longer, she was going to kill him. She wanted to do it so badly. The only thing holding her back was the fact of her son would be very upset if Savitar died by her hand. "Get out!" she snarled at him. "I don't want to see you ever again!"

"Precious-"

"How dare you to call me that?!" she threw her hand out with deadly intent. Savitar flew through the air hitting the marble wall across the garden. She held him pinned against it. "We're not friends! What gives you the right to use endearments with me?! I hate you! Nothing would make me happier than bathe in your blood. I should have done it long time ago."

"Would say sorry," Savitar gasped out, "but I know that means nothing to you. And I'm tired to ask for you forgiveness."

"As I'm tired to hear it. I'll _never_ forgive you! There are some things that sorry can't fix. You, more than anyone else, should know that."

Savitar held his tongue. There was no need to confirm or deny those words. Apollymi had spoken only the truth. She drew closer to him with regal stride, holding her gaze into his. Savitar's eyes had not longer their usual amethyst tone. The irises had taken a tangerine hue, a clear indication of an intense feeling taking place inside him.

Guilt, defiance, anger, hatred... Apollymi didn't care which. All she cared about was to end his life. It would be so easy to kill him right there. The force pinning him against the marble wall was crushing Savitar inexorably, but he wasn't making any effort to stop it. He was just there, letting her to vent her wrath against him.

If he had wanted, he could've fought back and freed himself. He was a god-killer after all. And more than that. His power could rivaled hers.

Even injured as he was.

His passive attitude enraged her even more than his sudden appearance on Kalosis. It felt like if he was pitying her. Nobody pitied her, they feared her. She was _Apollyimi Kataastreifa_. Apollymi, the Great Destroyer.

Her eyes ate him with hate, and taking pleasure in to be witness of the last moments of his worthless life. He was like a bug under her shoe about to be crushed. Savitar's eyes never left hers, in clear defiance.

The exchange between them awakened in her more than just hatred and anger. It triggered an old memory. One that Apollymi didn't wanted to remember.

The recollection was of the first time they met. She had been drawn out of Katoteros to the human world by a gory battle between ancient Gods. Although she hadn't been directly involved in the battle, she felt in her element; death and destruction was the only thing in sight. The only nuisance to her bliss was the apparition of a Chthonian, who stopped the ongoing carnage.

It was Savitar itself.

At the time, he recently had received his powers. His demeanor was absolutely feral, like a wounded animal ready to tear apart anyone who dared to get too close to him. The Gods who dared to do so, quick and painfully, learned their mistake. They walked off with their tails between their legs. If nowadays people thought of Savitar as cold and scary, they knew nothing. Apollymi hadn't seen such formidable sight before.

It puzzled and thrilled her, in ways she couldn't explain.

She didn't know she was staring at him until Savitar spun around. His eyes fired splinters at her. Only centuries later, she understood how a stare could hold so much agony and hatred. It was the same expression she wore in her eyes every time she looked at herself in a mirror.

When Savitar was about to take his last breath, she released him. She couldn't do it. The feeling of kindred spirits she shared with him stopped her from killing him.

She hadn't done such a thing before.

As soon as Apollymi release him, Savitar slid down and hit the floor, leaving a smear of blood on the wall. Made a bone lump on the hard surface, he coughed repeatedly trying to catch his breath.

"Get out, before I end what I started."

The threat was delivered in such eerie calm voice, that couldn't be more intimidating if she had shouted it. She wouldn't give him a second chance. She headed inside before fulfilling the threat without warning, she couldn't looked at him anymore.

Savitar surely had suffered from brain damage, either in the fight earlier that evening or while Apollymi had tried to kill him, because he ignored her warning. He wrestled himself to a sitting position, leaning his back against the wall. "You don't even want to know why I came?" he croaked.

Apollymi came to a halt, under the door frame, clenching her fists. They were so tight, that her knuckles lost their color. Breathing hard, she made herself to unclenched her hands and put one of them over his shoulder. I took everything she had to heal his back injury, instead of killing him.

Savitar grunted and cursed as her _kind_ touch drew out whatever poison had infected him, and sealed the wound closed. He looked up to her to thank her, but she lift her hand silencing him. Apollymi had reached that night all her limits and surprised herself not snapping into the ruthless goddess she was. "I've healed you. Now... go!"

She kept walking on until she heard him whispering "Wait". Two heartbeats later, he was standing behind her. "We have to stop doing this."

"Easy. Stop coming to where I am."

"What if I don't want to? What if I can't stay away from you?"


	3. Chapter 3

_Previously on _Hate That I Love You_..._

_"Wait," two heartbeats later, Savitar was standing behind Apollymi. "We have to stop doing this."_

_"Easy. Stop coming to where I am."_

_"What if I don't want to? What if I can't stay away from you?"_

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><p>"Then, you die!"<p>

Apollymi whirled around, ready to strike. Her blood and soul were boiling in rage. She got no other thought than erase Savitar from existence.

That was until he grabbed and pulled her closer to him, covering her lips with his. The unexpected action made her gasp. Savitar didn't waste the opportunity at her unwilling invitation to invaded her mouth. She wasn't prepared for the kiss, neither for the sensation of him tasting her so intimately. The last one who had done such thing had been Archon. And even then, it hadn't been so intense as this.

The assault on her short-circuited her brain, putting her murderous intentions momentarily on hold. She could barely think. She put her hands on his shoulders to pull away, but he held her tighter and deepened the kiss. The lust and need of him for her was infectious.

Apollymi has conflicted emotions running through her. The anger inside her blend with the hunger for a loving touch, which had been neglected for too long. It was a volatile combination. She wanted to geld Savitar for daring to touch her, but she couldn't make herself pull away from him.

She surrendered to the pleasure of having a warm body holding her possessively. Her head reeled with the scent of the ocean mixed with the very manly essence of Savitar. He kissed her, long and hard, filling her mouth with his tongue and his taste, and demanding a response. She gave it to him, gripping his head and stealing his breath.

His beard was a bit harsh on her sensitive skin, but she liked the sensation. His soft lips and the itchy beard were the two faces of the same coin. Very apropos for him. She never thought he could be so passionate. Behind that cold stance he usually had, there was a volcano ready to burst.

When Savitar felt she wasn't fighting his attentions anymore, he gentled his embrace and ran his hands up and down on her uncovered back. The warm fingertips raised goosebumps on her skin and sent chill through her spine.

Apollymi never knew when her hands left Savitar's shoulders and ended on his nape. She had her fingers entangled with his long dark hair. She was clinging to it for her dear life.

Gasping for air, Savitar broke the kiss. He nipped her bottom lip once... twice, before pulling away just enough to looked at her in the eyes. He waited for her reaction.

"Why?" was all she could say. She was too confused to come up with a proper comeback.

"I wanted to do that a _long_ time ago," he whispered. He looked down at her mouth and up again, savoring her taste off his lips. "I got to many regrets to carry to the afterlife. If you're to kill me, I don't want to die with the dissatisfaction of never kissing the most beautiful woman in the universe."

The sultry tone in his voice swept through her, taking away part of her remaining anger. But also made her feel uncomfortable.

What was wrong with her? She had never been this self-conscious or so accommodating. She snapped from the idiotic trance and stepped away from Savitar. Immediately she felt the loss of his heat, the sensation of his bare chest against hers. However, his salty scent of the ocean continued impregnated in her nose.

She glared at him, "I don't know why you're so determined to make your death as slow and painful as possible."

"That's starting to sound like an idle promise, you know. Just tonight, how many times have you threatened my life already? And I'm still here."

She hissed. "I really hate you."

"I hate you too, precious."

The fire in his lavender eyes wasn't in synchrony with his words. It spoke loud and clear about the lust he felt inside burning for her. He gazed her mouth again and again, as if he was a thirsty dying man and the spring of fresh water that could save him poured out from her lips.

"Savitar, stop! Stop it!"

"What?"

"Stop looking me like that!"

"Like what?"

Her nostrils flared. "Like if you want to eat me!"

His eyes roamed her from head to toes with deliberated appreciation, stopping for long moments in the right places. He took his time to take in her beautiful figure covered by black airy silk. The fabric hugged the curves of her body with extreme delicacy. The neckline showed a peek of the contour of her breasts... a small tease. But the real bait was on the rear. The posterior cleavage went south, all the way down, to her lower back.

Under Savitar's intense scrutiny, Apollymi felt her temperature rising even more, as if lava was running through her veins. The dress constricted her swelled breasts, and her heart beat faster than the wings of a hummingbird. She wanted to stepped back or make him go away, but she was paralyzed. Savitar walked into her personal space, but didn't touch her. He held his gaze into hers. His eyes darkened and his pupils dilated.

"Would you let me?" he asked in throaty voice.

Her negative got caught in her throat. She gulped trying to get rid of the lump closing off her airway.

Savitar grinned and caressed her jaw with the back of his fingers. "Your silence speaks volumes, Polly."

"No," she managed to utter through her clenched jaw. "All I want is _you_ away from _me_."

That didn't seem to discourage him in the least. In fact, Savitar's smile got bigger. "It that so?"

"Yes."

"Then, why are grabbing my shirt so tight?"

Apollymi looked down and her eyes widened watching her fingers wrapped around the rim of his shirt. She let go right in that instant, and stepped back. However, she didn't go far. Savitar wrapped his arms around her waist and kept her close. "You know what I think?"

"What gave you the impression that I care anything you might think with those three brain cells you got?" she put her hands on his chests and pushed him away, but he didn't relented. His arms were firmly wrapped around her.

He sighed. "Those three brain cells are more than enough to know you want me as much as I want you."

"No, I don't," she said, disgusted. "And you don't want me, either. I know you, you go after all the shallow-brained women that got the misfortune to cross path with you. I have no desire to experience again to be with a man who doesn't care who he's with or with how many. "

His gaze softened. "Pol... not all men are cheaters. I'm not Archon, the bastard." Savitar let her go and hardened his features. "And you know, I've come to the conclusion, that your hatred toward me isn't for what you've been claiming all these centuries. I've made many mistakes regarding you, I can't deny that. But the one that bothers you the most isn't the obvious. You've been mad at me for longer than you want to admit. I warned more than once that you should never be with Archon, that you'd not be happy with him. You wouldn't listen, because you thought my words were driven by jealousy. You know I was right, and _that's_ why you're really mad at me."

"That's not-!"

"Don't deny it, Apollymi. You know it's true. You were blind about him and didn't want to open your eyes when I warned you. You didn't trust in my affection for you. That I only wanted the best for you. I never dared to made my move on you, respecting your feelings for the bastard. I stayed away and bit my tongue, when what all I wanted to do was to rip your husband's head," Savitar massaged his forehead. "You know how hard it was to see how unhappy you were and unable to do nothing to make it right?"

"Not as hard as living it. What do you want me to say, Savitar? That I was a fool to believe Archon? Yes, I was. Have to remind you that I'm still paying the price of my mistake?! And I _do_ know how you felt. It's the same way I feel every single day. I'm trapped here in Kalosis, unable to be with my son. I watched him suffer for too long while my hands were tied to help him."

Her voice cracked. The roller coaster of emotions that she had been in the last hour made harder for her to control the turmoil inside her. She gave her back to Savitar when her tears threatened to fall.

Savitar spat a curse under his breath, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Apollymi, I-," he sighed when she shrugged his touch away. "It wasn't my intention to upset you."

She huffed offended and kept facing away from him. She had her arms folded across her chest and her shoulders stiffed. The staccato made by the drumming of her foot on the marble floor went faster and faster.

"Could you turn around and look at me? Your tantalizing back makes me hard to concentrate to apologize."

Apollymi turned around, outraged. Fury mixed with a wave of raging lust reddened her cheeks.

"I wish I had been grown a pair back then," Savitar lamented in soft voice. He stretched out his hand to cup her face. He wanted to wipe a lone tear she had missed cleaning up, but Apollymi jerked her face back. He let his hand fall down. "I should have done something."

Looking away, she murmured "There's no use in clinging in a past you can't change."

"True, but I can help wondering how it would've been if you hadn't married that bastard and we had gotten together." He took a longing deep breath and released it slowly. "Acheron would be my son and you wouldn't be trapped here."

Apollymi had her lips twisted in a half-smile when she swung about to face him. "With my temper, who can say I wouldn't have done something different to upset my family and end up here anyway. But Savitar..." she stepped closer to him and put her hand over Savitar's forearm, squeezing it with affection, "...Acheron _is_ your son_. _Perhaps not of flesh and blood, but you're the closest thing to a father to him. I'm certain that's how he feels about you." Savitar's amethyst eyes brightened. Apollymi knew her words meant the world to him. "I might hate you for many things, but I'll always grateful for everything you've done for him."

"It's been my pleasure." Savitar took her hand and kissed her knuckles. When he laid his eyes on her face, the blush on her cheeks had darkened and she tried to hid the smile of her lips. "Take care of your son was the least I could do."

The anger in Apollymi grew weaker, with uncertainty taking its place. She chewed her lip, looking at him. "What is it?" Savitar's head cocked to a side.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"I'm not that obtuse to not realize how difficult I am. I've never been sweet or docile, and never will be. My tantrums are infamous. Why would you risk to be near me?"

"No, you're not the nicest woman. You have a sharp tongue and quite a temper.

"Then, why are you want to be with me?"

"Because when you smile it's beautiful; feeling you close is addicting;" wanting to prove his point, Savitar got closer to Apollymi and put his arms around her, "and you're cute when you're mad."

"You're an ass."

"See my point," he said, paying no heed to the insult. "There you're getting even cuter than before."

"I'm serious!"

"So do I."

Apollymi drew her brows together. She couldn't understand his reasons. They didn't make any sense to her.

Savitar sighed exasperated, hugging her tighter. She shivered as his breath fell in her ear when he whispered. "I'm aware that being in a relationship with you probably is like eating ice cream with a fork... frustrating, stupid, and challenging. And there's always going to be a little left behind. But it's still ice cream, and it will always be worth it."

She leaned her head back to stare up at him.

"Sounds stupid, I know," he cupped her face, tracing his thumbs over her cheeks. "But I spent too many time thinking in the what ifs. I don't regret all the time I've been loving you, but I do regret taking so much time to finally do something about it."

"Savitar, I-" Apollymi looked down. She could speak looking at the abyss of his dark purple eyes. The intense gaze made her sweat and made her mouth dry.

He declared his love for just like that! How she supposed to respond to that?

She didn't want to hurt him by rejecting him, but she wasn't sure of what she felt for him. For so long she had hold so tight to the hatred, that didn't know how to express the opposite feeling. Was she capable to feel something like that for him?, she wondered. Did she dare to finding that out? "What if we start something and it's a mistake. I've made enough of them for several lifetimes. I don't want to add another to the list."

"Don't have to be a mistake. Not, if we don't want it to be. And in the farfetched possibility that it becomes one, don't you learn from your mistakes?"

"If I did that I'd be a genius by now!"

"You and everybody else in the universe. Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make them when nobody is looking."

"That's not much a reassurance."

"It isn't. Just the truth."

"Probably I'll sound foolish to you, but I'm afraid."

Apollymi couldn't believe those words were coming out of her mouth. She... afraid, when in life?! She leaned her head on Savitar's shoulder. She couldn't bear him looking at her. Savitar kissed her neck, sending chills through her. "About what?"

The lump on her throat reappeared, so Apollymi whispered, in hope that her raspy voice didn't betray how a simple act as a light kiss affected her. "Of changing things between you and me."

"What things? Our love-hate relationship, where I love you and you hate me?"

"You don't love me," she insisted. "You can't."

"So stubborn!" he said exasperated, looking at the heavens. "Yes! I deeply care about you. Always have, always will."

"You care about me and you don't miss the opportunity to contradict me every time you can."

"We can go slow. Is it too much to give us a chance?"

Sometimes the first small step was the harder to take.

But in the end she was tired to be alone. Immortal life could be a burden when there was nobody to share it with.

Being in Savitar's arms was nice. More than that. She hadn't felt cherish in a long time. Not the way she was feeling at that precise moment. He hugged her as she was precious. As she really mattered to him.

Her heart beat like a sledgehammer, as fast as her brain was working trying to get to a decision.


End file.
